Plea against minor being made seer adjourned

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday adjourned hearing in a PIL petition questioning the legality of anointing a minor as the 31st seer of Udupi Shiroor Mutt, while permitting the petitioners to ame

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday adjourned hearing in a PIL petition questioning the legality of anointing a minor as the 31st seer of Udupi Shiroor Mutt, while permitting the petitioners to amend the petition. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj, which heard the petition filed by the managing trust of Sri Shiroor Mutt Bhaktha Samithi, Udupi, represented by P. Lathavya Acharya, and others, while pointing out to counsel of petitioners that certain pleas cannot be permitted in a petition filed in the nature of public interest litigation, orally observed that the government cannot be a silent spectator when allegations are being made about violation of a minor child’s rights, as the petition referred to a representation made to the police. It was contended on behalf of the petitioner that 16-year-old Aniruddha Saralathaya was forcibly anointed as seer of Shiroor Mutt in violation of laws protecting the rights of minor children. The petition also said that the anointment ceremony was held in violation of COVID-19 lockdown norms.